The Secretary of State of the United States, Marco Rubiostated this Sunday that his country does not reject that the European members of the NATO develop their own military capabilities because Washington does not want vassal and dependent countries, but strong allies.
“We do not want Europe to depend on us; we are not asking for Europe to be a vassal of the United States,” he said at a press conference in Bratislava together with the Slovak Prime Minister, Robert Ficobroadcast by State Department.
According to him, in an alliance made up of countries, the stronger its members are, the stronger the alliance will be. It is for this reason that he insists that the United States does not see harm in other nations having more influence in NATO or improving their military capabilities.
“We want the alliance to be so strong that no one ever dares to test it, that no one dares to challenge it. Therefore, we welcome any measures that individual members take to strengthen the alliance. We see it as something very positive,” he details. He emphasizes that the United States wants to be a partner of Europe and “work together.”
Regarding the message he issued in his speech at the Munich Security Conferenceinsists that the transatlantic link is not only military or commercial, but is based on a common culture and roots. For this reason, Rubio assures that there is nothing “controversial” in the idea that each country should prioritize its national interests above everything else. According to him, in the event that there are “mismatches” between different interests, that is when the alliance comes into play to try to adapt to each other and “find a way to move forward.”
In relation to Iranthe North American Secretary of State highlighted that his Government is now focused on a negotiated solution to its controversial nuclear program, despite recognizing that it is a complicated task. “We are dealing with people who make geopolitical decisions based on pure theology,” he said.
About Syriathe Secretary of State states that his country has chosen to give the new authorities a chance to stabilize the situation, but recognizes that this is a significant challenge and that the other option was to let the country break into another civil war.
